Spring wheel



' July 7, 1925.

.1. cox

SPRING WHEEL Filed June 21.,1922

E U1 COX. WM, M1

Patented July 7, 1925.

TUNITED STATES 1.54am PATENT orric f JOSEPH I. cox, or DETROIT,- MICHIGAN, ass'rcnoa T srnrnc- HUBWI-IIEEI'I can; PANY, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION or nnvana.

SPRING WHEEL.

Application filed June 21, 1922. Serial No. 569,771.

' wheels of the type shown and'described in United States Letters Patent No. 1,320,663,

issued November 4th, 1919 to Carl F. Wes termann.

The object of the present invention is to simplify and improve the construction and 5 operation of a wheel ofthis type. A wheel of this type includes generally a rim, a hub housing fixed with relation to the rim and a hub within the housing carried in a floating manner upon spring-pressed plungers. Links are arranged between the floating hub and its housing for transmitting the torque without in any way interfering with free radial movement of the hub within its housing. In the prior patent referred to,

5 cast metal was .largely used in the construction of the wheel, including a cast metal hub housing and cast metal spokes, the latter being bored to receive the plungers and their springs. In the present wheel I make use of steel disks to form the body portion of the wheel and a hub housing also of pressed steel, preferably made in two parts. The disks are formed with pockets to receive the springs, and the plungers are carried and guided by the two-part hub housing. The hub has a channel-shaped flange fitting slidably between the walls'of the hub housing and resting upon rollers carried by the inner ends of the plungers.

' One form which, my invention may assume is exemplified in the following description and illustrated in the accompanying drawin s, in whichig. 1 shows a side elevation, partly in section, of a wheel embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 shows a cross sectional view of the same. v

The wheel shown herein comprises a rim 10,-preferably fitted with a solid tire 11. The rim is demountably carried upon a pair of spaced disks 12 formed of pressed steel. Between the disks near their central portion is arranged a hub housing also of pressed steel andcomprising an outer U-shaped ring 13 and an inner U-shaped ring 14. Carried w1th 1n the hub housing .is afioating hub consistmg of a central bearing portion 15 and an annular channel-shaped flange 16,the

latter extending slidably into the inner U-shaped' ring of the hub housing. The hub is fixed in the usual way upon an axle shaft 17. i w 1 .Arranged at intervals around the housing and extending slidably through openings in the inner and outer members of the same are radial plungers 18, each having its inner end fitted with a roller 19 bearing against the periphery of thechannel-shaped flange 16 of the hub. The outer end of each plunger has a flange 20 to contact withthe outer member of the hub housing whereby to limit the inward movement of the plung er. Each plunger is pressed inwardly by a helical coiled spring 21, which springs are carried within radial pockets 22 formed by pressing each of the disks 12 convexly. Thus the hub is supported throughout by the springs.

The driving connections between the hub and its housing are such as to permit free movement of the hub in any direction at right angles to its axis. These connections include two inner links 23 pivotally connected to the flange of the hub at one end and two outer links 24 pivoted to the inner links at one end and to the hub housing at the other end and a yoke 25' connecting the two inner links across. The operation of these links is set forth in the prior patent referred to.

It will be noted that the wall of theoutside disk and the adjacent wall of the outer housing make contact with each other to form a wall of double thickness adjacent the hub of the wheel. The pivots '26 for the outer links extend through this double wall.

In the case of the rear wheel, a brake hub cap 29, whichprotects the axle shaft 1,

and hub from dust and dirt.

Having thus described my invention,

what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A spring hub wheel of the character disclosed comprising a hub housing in the form of a U-shaped ring, spring-pressed plungens carried by the hub'housing, a-liub wi hin the housing having a bearing portion and a channel-shaped annular flange, the letter fittingfslidably between the walls of the housing and resting upon the plungers.

2,. A spring hub wheel of the "character disclosed comprising a hub housing in the iormof an, inner and outer U-shaped ring of pre s d metal, adially extending springpremed pl ngers movably mounted on said housing and a hub arranged within the housing and supported by said plungers.

3. A spring hub wheel of the character discl s d comp ising a hub housing in the form o an inner a d uter U-sliaped ing of pressed metal, radially extending springressed plungers movably mounted on said on-sing, a hub arranged within the housing and supported by said'plungers,=a brake drum bolted to the inner end of the hub, the Walls of saidrings adjacent the drum being bent to form an annular pocket, and peeking ma erial in said pocket. contac i g with sai m- 4. A spring hub wheel of the character d sclosed having its bodyportion formed of two disks spaced a )a-rt, a hub housing fitted between the dislrs near the center there of, plungers carried by the hub housing, springs between the disks acting on the plungers, a hub within the housing supported by said plungers, said hub housing be.- ng l J- shaped in cross section and having its outside wall in contact withthe outer disk, ll flk$ pivoted to the hub and other links plvotedto the firstanentioned links and connected n turn to contacting walls of the outside dish and hub housin 5, A spr ng hub wheel of the character disclosed having its body portion formed of two disks spaced apart, a hubhousing of pressed me al and U-sheh d in Cross Section tting between the disks near the center thereof, radially movable plungers carried by th hu housing, springs actingon said plungers, said springs being arranged radial pockets formed by convexing said disks and ahub within the housing supported by said plungers. V

6. A spring wheel comprising a pair of discs adapted to be secured together, in spaced relation, a series ofladially extending tubes secured in position'between the discs, a colled spring in each tube, a pair of annular members secured together in radial spacedrelation, the annular members having apertures in radial alignmentwith the tubes, a series of roller blocks slidably mounted in the apertures of the annular members", the outer ends of the roller blocks extending into the respective tubes and be ingsupported by the respective s ring, the

annular members, being provi ed with flanges riding on the flat faces of the cylindrical hub extension, each roller block being provided witha roller riding on the cylindrical face of the hub extension and a driving connection between the wheel and hub allowing diametrical movement of the wheel inrelatiion to the hub.

7. A spring wheel comprisinga pair of discssecured in spaced relation, the discs being provided with semi circulan lfldiall extending recesses positioned opposite one 7 other when the discs are secured together, a tube fitting each pair ofrecesses,-a coiled spring within each tube, a roller block slid ably mounted in: the inner end of each tube a roller rotatably mounted in the endjoi each roller block, a hub for the-wheel hav' ing a cylindrical extension on which the said rollers are adaptedto ride, w ed of annular members in which the roller blocks are supported, the annulanmembers' being provided with flanges engaging on o posits sides of the hub extension, and a riv" connection betweenthe hub and Wheelie w lowing diametrical movement of the wheel in relation to the hub) V y v 8. A spring wheel comprising arpair' of discs adapted when secured together to form a series of radially extending ecylindrieal chambers, a tube fitting each fcharnbeiyta coiled, spring wi hi each tu e, a hub for th w el having a 'cylindricaleextension provided with flat face/son each side there? of, a spring pressed uiembereliclable in ea tube and supported )by. thespring, a roller carried by each spring pressedimembflr and adapted to ride on the cylindrical fweeof th hub extension, a series of annular mainhers supporting the spring pressed member r and provided withflaugesengaging the flat side faces of the cylindrical hub extension and driving connection between the hub and wheel allowing Tdiametrical movementof the wheel in relation to the hub. a

' 9. A spring wheel 'comprisingia hub having a Cylindrical BXtGIISIOD provided with flat faces n the oppos tesides thereofi, a pair of discs secured together in spaced relation, a pair of annular members secured to the discs and adapted to ride on the flat faces of the cylindrical hub extension, a series of spring restrained members positioned about the cylindrical hub extension, a series of rollers positioned between the cylindrical face of the hub extension and spring restrained members, and a driving connection between the hub and discs permitting diametrical movement of the discs in relation to the hub.

10. A spring Wheel comprising a hub having roller contact therewith, and a driving means connecting the hub and the discs permitting movement of the discs in the plane of the hub.

JOSEPH I. COX. 

